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Inspired by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, Infinite Summer sees Michael Lovett’s NZCA Lines “marry sci-fi futurism to personal intimacies” to produce what must surely be one of the funkiest apocalyptic concept albums of all time. Indeed, also featuring former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley and drummer Sarah Jones (Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club), the follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut may center on […]

Named after a term used for trained assassins he heard in a documentary on espionage, Skilled Mechanics sees trip-hop trailblazer Tricky assemble his own killer team for the most collaborative studio effort of his lengthy career. Some of those on board are no stranger to the world of Adrian Thaws, including regular vocalist Francesca Belmonte who lends her sultry tones to the eerie synth-balladry of “We Begin,” drummer Luke Harris […]

As you’d expect from a founding member of studious classical-electro outfit Clean Bandit, British-Ugandan vocalist/rapper Love Ssega certainly isn’t short on brainpower. Born and raised in South London, the 24-year-old graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then made the brave decision to quit the aforementioned Grammy winners to finish his Ph.D. in laser sensing. Love Ssega (real name Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is just as cultured as he […]

Judging by all the pre-release talk of shunning EDM, steering dance music back into a proper direction and making a piece of art, you’d expect Steve Angello’s second solo LP, Wild Youth, to be something of a game-changer. So it’s slightly baffling to hear that the Stockholm DJ has delivered the kind of unadventurous, generic and largely forgettable record he appears to be rallying against. Indeed, featuring guest appearances from […]

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

So after crowning Jamie xx’s “Loud Places” and Bob Moses’ Days Gone By as the greatest single and album of 2015 respectively, we now switch our attention to what we can expect to hear over the next twelve months in the world of dance/electronica. The first big album out of the blocks this year is Moth (Jan 22), the third album from alt-pop duo Chairlift, which judging by its first […]

I always knew there was something of a revolutionary in the rapper T.I. Yes, he’ll always hand it in with commercial candy-coated hits, but somewhere deep in there is that Trouble Man – that same troubled spirit that led Marvin Gaye to ask, “What’s Going On?”

As I predicted in my last article covering hip-hop’s reaction to the Michael Brown police shooting, more hip-hop celebs are coming forth. Following in the footsteps of J.Cole’s haunting (but excellent) “Be Free,” T.I. just released his own take on handguns, police brutality, and being a black man in America in “New National Anthem”. His lament paints a picture more grim than CNN news.

“I know radio prolly ain’t gonna play this….but chopper going off in the hood man like Afghanistan or the Gaza strip somewhere man… After all, it’s the American way right?” T.I. begins.

Then singer Skylar Grey bursts out with, “Home of the brave and free (It’s America) / Free just to murder me (Land of the handgun).”

Well, there it is.

With her declaration still ringing in your ears, Skylar asks, “Is this the new national anthem?” Is point blank murder (allegedly by the police) the new creed America stands for? They pose the question against a driving staccato drum beat and African-like chanting. Definitely a change of pace from the somber “Be Free,” but no less arresting, this song is obviously a call to action.

T.I.’s “New National Anthem”:

To rouse that uprising, T.I. spits some real sh*t: economic disparity and impoverished upbringings in the black community, systematic injustice in the court system, and then, of course, the hate-on-hate relationship young black men have with the police (including his own).

“I was raised in a decade of hate young n**ga / Always dodging polices because they hate young n**gas / And we hate them too, 38 in him shoe / All the changes the system will take him through / He ain’t a killer but he will if you make him do it.”

What’s more, T.I. even re-enacts a typical run in with the po-po for a black man; “Hold up man, don’t shoot!…What the f**k you know about being a black man in America? / And you wonder why we walk around with straps.”

As T.I. points out, it is often all too easy to characterize African-American men as angry violent thugs – people to be feared. But rarely do these characterizations look at the injustice and angry violence being done to these men – often by white officers – on the daily.

What makes this song go balls out is that not only does T.I. name drop victims of injustice (Trayvon Martin, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X), and culprits of grand crime (Edgar Hoover for killing Malcolm X); he literally gives a public address to the whole of America’s systems (education, gun, prison) on their double standards. He calls America out for creating a monster they now can’t ignore. This is T.I. the politician.

He then gives a private address of encouragement to “his people”: “Stop waiting on folk to help you.” And like Kanye West said, “[The government] don’t give a f**k about us”. This sentiment is probably deeply felt right now, especially in Ferguson.

With his gliding bravado, raw lyrics, and righteous passion, T.I. spits many of the societal views that members of the black community have held for years about this country. He asks the same questions many are now asking in the wake of the Michael Brown murder. Is this the new national anthem? This song is not only a lament, it’s a searing indictment. As T.I. lets rip his own anger, he also reflects the anger of millions of black men like Michael Brown who undergo injustice in this very twisted system. Most importantly, he shows this anger originates from a very real place.

“We are a product of the environment you placed us in…we ain’t do it…we just lived through it”.

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About the Author

Mic check 1,2,1,2. Not the words you expect to bust out of Orange County, California, but that's where Deborah Jane found her funk. Daughter of Guyanese immigrants, Deborah grew up in an all-white suburb where she was one of the only black kids in her school. (Fun fact: She didn't make her first black friend until attending Stanford University). Hip-hop gave her a voice and helped her discover her roots. Now she is an emcee and writer who both spits raps and writes editorials, TV shows and films - especially hip-hop musicals!

At Stanford, she wrote and produced an award-winning hip-hop musical, Strange Fruit: The Hip-Hopera (www.strangefruithiphopera.com) - now in development as a feature film. Deborah also launched her hip-hip theatre webseries, The HOTT (www.youtube.com/TheHOTTtv), published in Urban Cusp Magazine. Currently, she is penning her first hip-hop album, Do You Love Me Deborah Jane? And do you? She truly hopes you all love her.